As a real world pilot there's nothing better then flying for real but flying FSX is also my best friend and should be every pilot's best friend.

 

This weekend reminded me just how important FSX can be.

 

So I set off to fly from VA to downtown Cleveland...no reason just haven't flown to Cleveland in a awhile.

 

Decided to fly the DA40

 

Departing airport was KHSP... elevation close to 4,000.

 

using skyvector as my flight planning tool there was airmets all the way, IFR, MOD ICE between freeze level surface to 8,000.

 

File IFR, Departed KHSP, figured since I'm high up I have just 4,000 feet before I break out the clouds.

 

Maybe about 30 minutes into the flight airspeed goes to zero...

 

Manifold pressure drops...

 

Hey what the heck is going on? I'm not in the clouds...outside air temp is around 11F.

 

Panicking...I cannot figure out the garmin 430 and how to display nearest airport.

 

Forget it...I'll just zoom in and see if I can find one...

 

Turn fuel pump on...nothing mixture rich...nothing

 

Forget best glide speed can I make that field...because VA has lots of mountains and it's IFR

 

Long story short I made the field...but crashed into the house...

 

FAA would classify the flight as improper flight planning.

 

Here's what I learn, that I total forgot about when flying in cold weather...thank you FSX and OPUS!!!

1. Don't forget to turn the pitot heat on

2. Now your avionics...especially the nearest feature

3. Manifold pressure drop in cold is properly carb icing. if you have carb heat turn it on.

4. Understand if you're flying over hostile territory, risk goes up.

 

The DA40 does not have carb heat...so I should have never attempted to flying in MOD ICE conditions. Even though it's fuel injected.

 

Again thank you FSX, and OPUS for their weather engine...a life saver for sure

 

repeated the flight in lancair legacy...same thing happened...however I'm better familiar with the Garmin 530...and since I knew what was going on...I descending and power came back and I landed at the nearest airport.

 

repeated the flight again in the Cessna 172..success, but climbed to 12,000 to stay clear of any clouds.

 

Happy Holidays!!

 

-Ray

 

 

 

It's much better to learn these lessons (and reminders) in a sim, yes?  I'm truly glad and grateful that the recent aircraft are adding more and more of these failures. 

Gosh! My heart was in my mouth for a while there!  :smile:

For a second there, I thought this was real world. Freaky. I know this applies to the 530 and fairly sure it also applies to the 430, but if you get into a jam like this grab the big knob and turn it all the way to the right. It'll take you directly to the nearest airport page.

It's much better to learn these lessons (and reminders) in a sim, yes?

Not in my opinion.

 

Four decades ago, the NTSB ruled on this type of operation.  About two decades ago, the NTSB ruled again in a similar situation calling the pilot's actions an apparent willingness to engage in a kind of weather Russian roulette.  Not the only two (unfortunately) btw.

 

Better to learn from an Instructor who would (hopefully) impress upon an individual the potential for disaster in such a situation.  And that pireps and forecasts constitute "known icing conditions" into which a flight is prohibited unless the aircraft is specifically certificated by the FAA for flight into known icing conditions.

 

 

Better to learn from an Instructor who would (hopefully) impress upon an individual the potential for disaster in such a situation. And that pireps and forecasts constitute "known icing conditions" into which a flight is prohibited unless the aircraft is specifically certificated by the FAA for flight into known icing conditions.

 

Hopefully, an instructor will provide adequate warning.  Even airplanes that are certified FIKI (yep, read quite a few Cirrus reports) have gotten into serious, serious trouble in ice.